KOAT- Albuquerque Police Department Officer Tank Guenther has been indicted on 26 charges of criminal sexual contact of a minor, bribery of a witness and tampering with evidence.Action 7 News obtained a copy of the indictment against Guenther on Thursday.
Investigators said the alleged abuse spanned from August 2002 until December 2005, but authorities didn't know about the accusations until the victim stepped forward in 2009.
Guenther is under investigation for allegations he raped a family member under the age of 13. Chief Ray Schultz said the department learned of the investigation last summer, and Guenther has been on administrative duties until now.
"When felony allegations are made against an officer, the department, a detective or even a civilian, the first thing we do is put them in a position where there's minimal contact with the public, obviously not doing any law enforcement duties or functions," Schultz said.
The department has launched an internal affairs investigation as the criminal aspect is also being reviewed.
According to the indictment filed on Thursday in district court, Guenther is charged with 26 counts of criminal sexual penetration in the first-degree. Investigators also said he bribed a witness and tampered with evidence for four years after the alleged abuse.
A spokesperson for the district attorney's office said that while the charges are against a police officer, it's important to remember that the case is about alleged child rape.
"The community rightly should expect a lot from a public safety officer, a police officer, but we expect more of them," the spokesperson said. "But in this case, this deals with a family matter, about his role in his family abusing a family victim."
Guenther is not in custody, but the district attorney's office said he will soon be getting a notice to appear in court.
If convicted, Guenther could face a maximum of 306 years in prison.
No comments:
Post a Comment